Jewish State Party Asks American Intervention for National Home

March 31, 1936

NEW YORK (Mar. 30)

Under instruction from its first national convention, the Jewish State Party of America prepared today to seek American intervention in behalf of the Jewish National home on the basis of the convention between the United States and Great Britain in 1925, which makes the U.S. a party to the Palestine mandate.

A resolution adopted at the closing session of the convention in the Hotel Victoria last night called attention of the State Department to Article II of the mandate, the national home clause, and Article VI, providing for facilitation of Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine, which were held “disregarded and held ineffective” by the Mandatory Power’s policy.

In other resolutions, the parley demanded that the Zionist Organization “proclaim openly and clearly” that “the ultimate aim of Zionism is the reestablishment of the Jewish state,” deplored “the fact that the Mandatory Power is not carrying out its obligations,” appealed to the people of the British Empire to influence the Government to alter its policy and voiced opposition to the present Zionist Executive for “lack of a clear program.”

Other resolutions voiced opposition to the proposed Palestine legislative council and the Germany-Palestine transfer agreement. Demands were voiced that the “privileged position” of the Histadruth Haovdim, Palestine labor federation, be abolished. Jews in the Diaspora were called on to establish markets for Palestine products and formation of a territorial Zionist organization was supported.

Meer Grossman, vice-president of the Actions Committee of the World Zionist Organization and world head of the Jewish State Party, declared that sight was being lost of the Jewish state idea and, in giving an example, charged that Dr. Judah L. Magnes, president of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem was agitating in Jewish circles for acceptance of the legislative council.

He condemned people “who want to pervert the political liberation for the reestablishment of a Jewish state into a cheap affair such as a mere harbor for refugees,” and urged mass colonization of Palestine.